Texas Tech news: McGuire floats series with Notre Dame if Texas falls through

Texas Tech will be playing Abilene Christian, Oregon State, and Sam Houston in the non-conference schedule in 2026. It is not the scariest set of games for a team trying to prove they belong on the national stage. Texas Tech had a series scheduled with USC, but the Trojans pulled out of the series.

This has left some holes in future schedules for the Red Raiders. The hope for Texas Tech was to schedule Texas, but if that does not happen, head coach Joey McGuire has another hope, per Brett McMurphy of On3.

“We’re talking to everybody and anybody. So far, everybody’s told us no,” McGuire told On3. “If (Texas cancels) we would love to play a home & home (series) w/Notre Dame. I’ve talked to (Notre Dame coach) Marcus (Freeman). He would love that also.”

Currently, Texas Tech has Arkansas-Pine Bluff and New Mexico scheduled for 2027, with Stephen F. Austin and Wyoming in 2028. The 2029 schedule has two more games with non-power opponents, with FCS Incarnate Word and Missouri State. They then have a series with Arkansas that starts in Vegas in 2030 and at Arkansas in 2031, before a home game against Arkansas in 2034. That is the only Power Conference school scheduled outside of a date at Oregon in 2033.

Texas has plenty of future solid opponents. They have Ohio State this year, before Michigan in 2027. They also face Notre Dame in 2028 and 2029. Notre Dame does not have an open spot on the schedule until 2028, but they also have games with Texas, Arkansas, Auburn, and Miami that season. They then have two slots open in 2029.

The college football season kicks off on August 29, as North Carolina faces TCU in Dublin, Ireland. Texas Tech hopes to be a playoff team in 2026 and opens its season against Abilene Christian on September 5.